The impressive Stone Forest is located in Lunan Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 120 kilometers southeast from Kunming. The "forest" is actually a 400-sqkm expanse of karst that dates back to the Permian Period approximately 270 million years ago.
Some of the landscapes' names are as weird as their shapes – for instance, there's "The Crack that Man Cannot Go Through", the "Camel on Elephant", the "Seven Elders Gathering" and "Strange Wind Cave". There's also a subterranean cave packed with stalactites and stalagmites.
The best time to visit the Stone Forest is during the Sani people's Torch Festival, held every lunar year on the 24th day of the 6th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Various traditional games and events take place, including wrestling, bull fighting, pole climbing, Dragon-playing, Lion-dancing and the A-xi Moon Dance.
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